Pennsylvania  Railroad’s 

Reproduction  of 

Early  Transportation 

In  connection  with  the 


Semi-Centennial  of  the  Loyal 
War  Governors’  Conference 

of 

September  24,  1862 


o 


Altoona,  Pennsylvania 
September  24-26,  1912 


» 


CONESTOGA  WAGON 


"5  o 6*  736 


Pennsylvania  Railroad’s  Reproduction 
of  Early  Transportation 
In  connection  with  the 
Semi-Centennial  of  the 
Loyal  War  Governors’  Conference  of 
September  24,  1862 

Altoona,  Pennsylvania,  September  24,25, 26, 1912 

WHEN  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  was  invited 
to  participate  in  the  Semi-Centennial  of 
the  Loyal  War  Governors’  Conference,  on 
Thursday,  September  twenty-sixth,  it  was  decided 
that  nothing  more  fitting  could  be  presented  to  the 
public  than  a reproduction  of  early  transportation 
methods. 

The  reproductions  on  floats  are  preceded  by  a 
mounted  herald  bearing  a banner  emblazoned  on 
which  is  the  legend : — 


THE  PENNSYLVANIA  RAILROAD 
PRESENTS 

EARLY  TRANSPORTATION 


Following  the  herald,  a band  of  thirty  pieces, 
and,  in  succession,  the  floats:  — 

1.  CONESTOGA  WAGON. 

2.  CANAL  PACKET-OLD  PITTSBURGH  LINE. 

3.  “JOHN  BULL”  TRAI N — CAM  DEN  AND  AMBOY 
RAILROAD,  1831. 

4.  FIRST  STEAM  TRAIN  TO  THE  WEST,  1834. 

5.  FIRST  PASSENGER  CAR  WITH  ELEVATED  ROOF, 


1836. 


Except  the  Conestoga  Wagon,  which  is  original 
(borrowed  for  the  occasion  from  Mr.  Nathaniel 
Groff,  of  East  Petersburg,  Lancaster  County,  Penn- 
sylvania), the  exhibits  are  faithful  reproductions, 
though  somewhat  reduced  in  size.  Accompanying 
the  floats,  riding  on  the  canal  boat,  in  and  on  the 
old  passenger  coach,  and  walking  alongside  the  floats 
are  young  men  and  young  women  costumed  as  trav- 
elers of  the  period  of  the  scenes  presented. 

Hanging  from  the  sides  of  the  floats  are  photo- 
graphic reproductions  of  old  posters,  such  as  were 
usually  displayed  in  the  early  days  of  transportation. 

CONESTOGA  WAGON 

This  is  an  original  Conestoga  wagon  and  shows 
the  type  of  conveyance  used  previous  to  the  intro- 
duction of  the  railway  to  transport  emigrants  and 
merchandise  from  the  east  to  the  west,  returning 
with  such  products  as  the  western  settler  might 
have  for  disposition  in  eastern  markets.  Before 
the  era  of  the  railway  the  interior  of  the  State  was 
almost  wholly  supplied  with  merchandise  by  that 
vehicle  of  transportation. 

After  transportation  by  pack  horses  came  ox- 
carts, moving  over  a wagon  road  blazed  along  the 
Indian  trails  from  the  Delaware  River  to  the  north 
branch  of  the  Susquehanna.  As  the  roads  were  im- 
proved the  ox-teams  gave  way  to  more  pretentious 
wagons  drawn  by  horses.  On  the  completion  of 


the  turnpikes  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth 
and  the  early  years  of  the  nineteenth  century,  large 
wagons  carrying  from  two  to  three  tons  and  drawn 
by  from  four  to  six  horses  became  the  carrying 
equipment  of  trade.  These  teams  were  known  as 
the  “Conestoga”  and  the  “Pitt,”  the  former  serving 
the  trade  of  the  interior  of  Pennsylvania  and  the 
latter  that  of  Pittsburgh  and  beyond. 

The  “Conestoga”  wagon  was  constructed  with  its 
center  bending  down  so  that  its  contents  could  not 
pitch  forward  as  a grade  in  the  road  was  descended, 
nor  backward  as  one  was  ascended.  It  derived  its 
name  from  the  thrifty  region  of  Lancaster  County, 
famous  in  the  past,  as  it  is  in  the  present,  for  the 
quality  of  its  live  stock  and  vehicles. 

The  splendid  draft  horses  raised  in  Lancaster 
County  were  famous  as  “Conestogas,”  and  were  in 
demand  to  haul  the  heavy  wagons  that  increased 
trade  demanded,  and  it  was  but  natural  that  the 
trade  name  of  the  horse  should  attach  itself  to  the 
wagon  which  it  drew.  As  emigration  advanced 
westward  trade  developed,  and  the  thrifty  farmer  of 
the  Conestoga  became  a common  carrier  and  the 
Conestoga  wagon  a famous  transportation  vehicle. 

CANAL  PASSENGER  PACKET 

This  boat  is  a faithful  reproduction  of  the  pas- 
senger boats  used  on  the  Pennsylvania  Canal  in 
1836. 


CANAL  PACKET-OLD  PITTSBURGH  LINE 


The  first  canal  4 6 Packet”  in  Pennsylvania  was  a 
small  boat  built  in  Lancaster  in  1828  and  named 
the  44 Red  Rover.”  It  was  run  on  the  Conestoga 
Navigation  or  slack  water  canal  between  Lancaster 
and  Safe  Harbor  until  1833,  when  it  was  taken  up 
the  Susquehanna  to  Columbia,  put  in  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Canal,  and  run  as  a passenger  boat  between 
Columbia  and  Middletown  for  some  years. 

The  44Red  Rover”  was  the  original  out  of  which 
was  evolved  the  44packet”  of  1836.  This  latter  was 
a boat  72  feet  long,  11  feet  wide,  and  8 feet  high. 
Its  interior  was  divided  into  four  sections, — a mule 
stable,  kitchen,  gentlemen’s  cabin,  and  ladies’  cabin. 
Swinging  sleeping  berths  were  fastened  along  the 
sides  of  the  cabins  and  were  separated  from  one 
another  by  curtains.  Skylights,  with  twenty  win- 
dows on  each  side  of  the  boat  protected  by  green 
Venetian  shutters,  permitted  the  light  to  enter  the 
interior. 

The  boat  would  accommodate  about  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  passengers.  It  was  painted  white, 
with  stripes  of  red  and  black  above  the  water-line. 
The  crew  of  the  boat  consisted  of  the  captain,  two 
drivers,  two  deck  hands,  one  cook,  and  one  scullion. 
It  was  drawn  by  three  mules.  Three  mules  were 
always  in  the  stable.  Mules  were  changed  every 
eight  miles. 

Charles  Dickens,  in  traveling  over  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Canal,  had  this  to  say  in  his  American  Notes 
on  the  44packet”  and  44packet”  travel:  — 


“Nor  was  the  sight  of  this  canal  boat  in  which  we  were 
to  spend  three  or  four  days  by  any  means  a cheerful  one,  as 
it  involved  some  uneasy  speculations  concerning  the  disposal 
of  the  passengers  nt  night,  and  opened  up  a wide  field  of  in- 
quiry touching  the  other  domestic  arrangements  of  the  estab- 
lishment, which  was  sufficiently  disconcerting.  However, 
there  it  was,  a barge  with  a little  house  on  it,  viewed  from 
the  outside ; and  a caravan  at  a fair,  viewed  from  within  • the 
gentlemen  being  accommodated  as  the  spectators  usually  are 
in  one  of  those  locomotive  museums  of  penny  wonders ; and 
the  ladies  being  partitioned  off  by  a red  curtain  after  the 
manner  of  the  dwarfs  and  giants  in  the  same  establishments, 
whose  private  lives  are  passed  in  rather  close  exclusiveness.” 


After  describing  the  scenes  and  incidents  of  canal 
boat  traveling,  he  continues:  — 


“And  yet  despite  these  oddities — and  even  they  had  for 
me  at  least  a humor  of  their  own — there  was  much  in  this 
mode  of  traveling  which  I heartily  enjoyed  at  the  time,  and 
look  back  upon  with  great  pleasure.  Even  the  running  up, 
bare-necked,  at  five  o’clock  in  the  morning,  from  the  tainted 
cabin  to  the  dirty  deck ; scooping  up  the  icy  water,  plunging 
one’s  head  into  it,  and  drawing  it  out,  all  fresh  and  glowing 
with  the  cold,  was  a good  thing.  The  quick  walk  along 
the  towing  path  between  that  time  and  breakfast,  when  every 
vein  and  artery  seemed  to  tingle  with  health;  the  exquisite 
beauty  of  the  opening  day,  when  the  light  came  gleaming  off 
from  everything;  the  lazy  motion  of  the  boat,  when  one  lay 
idly  on  the  deck,  looking  through,  rather  than  at,  the  deep 
blue  sky;  the  gliding  on  at  night,  so  noiselessly,  past  frown- 
ing hills,  sullen  with  dark  trees,  and  sometimes  angry  in  one 
red  burning  spot  high  up,  where  unseen  men  lay  crouching 
round  a fire ; the  shining  out  of  the  bright  stars  undisturbed 
by  the  noise  of  wheels  or  steam  or  any  other  sound  than  the 
limpid  rippling  of  the  water  as  the  boat  went  on ; all  these 
were  pure  delights.” 


“JOHN  BULL”  TRAIN 


This  reproduction  shows  the  original  locomotive 
“John  Bull,”  as  constructed  for  the  Camden  and 
Amboy  Railroad  Company.  It  was  made  from 
the  original  drawings  from  Stevenson’s  Shops, 
which  accompanied  the  engine  from  England,  as 
attested  by  Isaac  Dripps,  who  put  the  original 
together  upon  its  arrival  in  America.  The  locomo- 
tive, with  the  two  passenger  cars  of  the  stage  body 
pattern,  comprises  the  first  steam  train  in  the  State 
of  New  Jersey,  November  12,  1831. 

After  the  locomotive  had  been  run  for  some  little 
time,  considerable  trouble  was  experienced  from  its 
running  off  the  tracks  when  rounding  curves.  A 
pilot  and  a pair  of  wheels  were  then  added  to  the 
locomotive,  and  the  increased  wheel  base  thus  ob- 
tained eliminated  the  trouble.  Many  changes  were 
also  made  to  the  tender. 

The  locomotive  was  exhibited  at  the  Centennial 
Exhibition  of  1876,  and  again  at  the  Chicago  Ex- 
position of  Railway  Appliances  in  1883.  It  was 
then  taken  to  the  United  States  National  Museum, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  where  it  remained  until  the 
World’s  Columbian  Exposition  at  Chicago  in  1893. 
Upon  this  occasion  it  hauled  a train  of  two  cars, 
without  assistance,  from  New  York  to  Chicago, 
meeting  a continued  ovation  over  the  entire  route. 
There  it  was  one  of  the  greatest  attractions  at  the 
World’s  Fair,  carrying  over  fifty  thousand  passen- 


LOCOMOTIVE  ‘ ‘ LANCASTER  ” — FI  R ST  STEAM  TRAIN  TO  THE  WEST 


gers  over  the  exhibition  tracks  in  the  Terminal  Sta- 
tion yard. 

The  locomotive  left  Chicago  again  under  steam 
at  the  close  of  the  Fair,  coming  east  over  the  Penn- 
sylvania lines,  via  the  Southwest  System,  to  Pitts- 
burgh, and  through  Altoona,  Harrisburg,  and  Balti- 
more to  Washington,  arriving  there  December  13, 
1893.  Having  made  its  last  trip  under  steam,  it 
was  returned  to  the  United  States  National 
Museum,  to  remain  there  permanently.  The  “John 
Bull”  is  the  oldest  complete  locomotive  in  America. 

FIRST  STEAM  TRAIN  TO  THE  WEST-1834 

This  is  a reproduction  of  the  locomotive  “Lan- 
caster” and  train.  The  locomotive  was  built  by  M. 
W.  Baldwin  of  Philadelphia  for  the  Philadelphia 
and  Columbia  Railroad,  and  the  first  practical  loco- 
motive put  in  use  on  that  road.  The  two  stage 
body  cars  are  reproductions  of  the  original  cars 
which  were  constructed  to  be  drawn  by  horses,  but 
modified  to  adapt  them  to  the  locomotive. 

The  “Lancaster”  was  the  third  locomotive  built 
by  Mr.  Baldwin.  It  was  contracted  for  with  the 
“Columbia”  and  “Philadelphia”  under  authority  of 
April  22,  1834;  completed,  delivered,  and  put  in 
running  on  the  road  June  28,  1834.  It  weighed 
eight  tons,  had  a capacity  of  drawing  fifty-six  gross 
tons  inclusive  of  the  weight  of  the  cars,  and  moved 
its  train  seventy-seven  miles  in  eight  hours.  It  was 


used  in  hauling  material  for  the  completion  of  the 
road,  and  on  October  7,  1834,  drew  the  leading 
passenger  train  from  Columbia  to  Philadelphia  on 
the  formal  opening  of  the  road.  There  were  two 
trains,  one  drawn  by  the  “ Lancaster”  and  the  other 
by  its  twin,  the  “Columbia,”  each  drawing  seven- 
teen four-wheel  cars.  The  trains  left  Columbia  at 
eight  o’clock  in  the  morning  and  arrived  at  Lan- 
caster at  nine  o’clock.  Among  those  on  board 
were  Governor  Wolf;  Henry  Buehler;  Daniel 
Sturgeon,  Auditor  General;  Alexander  Mahon, 
State  Treasurer;  General  Samuel  Workman,  Secre- 
tary of  the  Land  Office;  General  Spangler,  Sur- 
veyor General;  James  Clarke  and  Generals  Mitchell 
and  McCoy,  Canal  Commissioners;  General  Simon 
Cameron;  S.  D.  Patterson,  editor  of  the  “Penn- 
sylvania Reporter”;  Major  Forster,  Colonel  Forney, 
Captain  McAllister,  and  many  others  of  more  or 
less  importance;  also  a brass  band. 

After  an  hour  spent  at  Lancaster,  exchanging 
felicitations  with  the  citizens  of  that  ancient  burg,  the 
party,  increased  by  a local  committee  composed  of 
Thomas  E.  Franklin,  C.  Forry,  John  Gray,  Emanuel 
Shaffer,  Henry  Keffer,  and  R.  W.  Harrison,  boarded 
the  train  which  left  for  Philadelphia  at  ten  o’clock. 

The  movement  of  the  trains  was  greeted  with  a 
continuous  ovation  from  the  people,  and  Governor 
Wolf  entered  Philadelphia  at  half-past  four  o’clock 
in  the  afternoon,  enjoying  a triumph  such  as 


BV  THE 


OF 


RAIL  ROAD  CARS 

AN1) 

la  (m&aa&a* 


THE  WESTERN  TRANSPORTATION  COMPANY 


(LEECH,  HOB.1RTS  4-  TOL.I.VB'S 

Respectfully  inform  the  Public,  they  have  made  arrangements  with  Messrs.  Slaymakcr,  Peters  A Coiner, 
«f  the  Inion  Kail  Road  Company  to  convey  passengers  to’ Columbia  in  their  Pars,  which  leave  the  Corner  of 
Broad  and  line  Stmt  at  7 «VWi,  and  S o’clock,  every  morning;  arriving  at  Pol  tint  bia  in  time  for  the  Packets, 
which  leave  at  6 o’clock  in  tht  evening,  for  Holiday sbur2.—*Pa.ssengers  there  toke  the  Western  Transportation 
Company’s  Pars  across  the  Mountain*.  and  proceed  to  Johnstown..  from  whence  they  will  be  conveyed  by  Packets 
to  Pittsburg,  .making  the  journey  with  trifling  fatigue,-  in  t»  days, 

t i 'rite  Root*  leave  each  a Ladies  and  tUeutlemen’s  Cabin,  with  25  berths  and  appropriate  conveniences.  The 
Tables  are  rdentifully  provided,  and  the  accommodations  such  as  to  insure  comfort  and  render  the  tour  most  in 
terestiur  ‘be  traveller  and  invalid 

■wc  niter  information,  apply  to  IV  J Steel,  Red  Lion  Hotel,  Market  Street,  above  Sixth  Street,  and 
for  f»r  v-  t.eorgc  W Morgan,  Ag  i , at  the  W hite  Swan.  Race  Street,  between  3d  A fth  Streets,  or  at  the 

Pompon*-"  -g  orchouxe.  North  Store.  Pbesuul  Street,  Sdiuyfkil). 


Frifrii  to 

Xs\4vCW  V,J”SsV 


H iUHISKl  IU., *4,0©4  *<r- 

LBWISTOMN,  4, SO 

1101.111  ilMMIU., 

PITTSBURG, S,<M» 


FACSIMILE  OF  ORIGINAL  POSTER  ADVERTISING  SCHEDULE 
AND  RATES  TO  PITTSBURGH 


never  had  greeted  Caesar  on  entering  Rome.  Phila- 
delphia was  in  a blaze  of  enthusiasm  and  its  hospi- 
tality never  shown  brighter. 

The  Governor  and  his  party  were  entertained  until 
entertainment  became  almost  a burden  to  its  recipi- 
ents. This  kept  up  for  one  week,  when  the  Governor 
left  for  the  capital  on  a train  of  fifteen  cars  drawn  by 
the  6 4 Lancaster”  with  five  hundred  people  aboard, 
over  one-third  of  whom  were  enthusiastic  and  influ- 
ential Philadelphians  who  would  and  did  accompany 
him  as  far  as  Paoli  before  bidding  him  “Godspeed.” 
The  entry  of  the  “Lancaster”  was  a new  era  to  the 
Quaker  City.  It  united  industrial  and  commercial 
interests  with  transportation  for  the  advancement  of 
the  city.  The  cars  on  these  first  trains  were  four- 
wheeled,  with  seats  running  with  the  sides  of  the  car, 
and  accommodated  sixteen  persons  each — eight  on  a 
side. 


FIRST  PASSENGER  CAR  WITH  ELEVATED 
ROOF-1836 

The  passenger  car  shown  is  a reproduction  of  the 
first  railroad  coach  equipped  with  an  elevated  roof. 
It  was  constructed  in  the  shops  of  C.  Allison,  Phila- 
delphia, in  1836,  and  put  into  service  for  the  first 
time  on  July  4,  1836,  at  Philadelphia.  Shortly  after 
it  was  fitted  with  trucks  (or  bogies)  in  accord- 
ance with  the  invention  of  Richard  Imlay,  to  whom 
was  granted  a patent  September  21,  1837.  It 
was  probably  the  first  passenger  car  to  which  the 


WISTEK* 

TllA\SI*»ltT  iTl«\  Co 

CO.  LEECH  & Co.' 

Passengers’  Line, 

O./ll.l  .IT  8 O’CI.OC'U,  I..II. 

VM  PENNSYLVANIA  l \\Al  s .\Sl>  BAIL  KOUl* 


PI1 


|{(. 


*9 


COLUMBIA  AM)  TIAMIIINIH  IUL 

THROUGH  1\  * DAIS. 


\i  oo 
5 -’5 
3 50 


MILLS  MILL'S 

Pare  to  Harrisburg,  tn  03  oo  Alexandria,  ^ $ 

do  NewPort  08  s so  Williamsburg  s« 

do  Mexico  »«  "s»i  Hollidaysburg  «•< 

do  Lewis  town  t?1  < w Johnstown  *90  « u 

do  Huntingdon  ’ a«»  * s;  Pittsburg  324  ? «> 

Passengers  by  ibis  line  will  be  .carried  through  to  Pittsburg,  as  soon  as 
any  line  now  running  by  the  above  route,  passing  our  the  Bail-Roads  with  day 
light.  I he  Cars  on  the  Philadelphia,  Columbia,  and  Portage  Bail-Bonds  are  ot 
the  best  description  and  the  accommodations  in  the  Packet  Boats,  are  eejuai  i«  mu; 
cfleh  having  a Gentlemen's  and  Ladies’  Cabin,  lifted  up  with  comfortable  berths, 
exclusively  for  the  accoimnudahon  of  Passengers. 

£C0ont  mistake  the  office  I.'iChesuut  St  . third  door  below  Second,  north  side 

JOHN  nMKKO\ 

Agent  tor  the  Propio-tto s 

. Ph«UM,.W.  M,<>  sia.  1455 


FACSIMILE  OF  ORIGINAL  POSTER 
PHILADELPHIA  TO  PITTSBURGH,  4 V,  DAYS 


6 6 bogie”  was  fitted.  Imlay  had  constructed  a car 
as  early  as  1830  which  was  capable  of  accommodat- 
ing twelve  persons  inside;  six  persons,  including  the 
driver,  on  outside  seats  at  either  end,  and  twelve 
persons  on  a double  seat  running  lengthwise  on  the 
top  of  the  car. 


These  pictures  of  early  transportation  methods 
form  a sharp  contrast  with  the  huge  steam  and  elec- 
tric locomotives,  the  all-steel  passenger  coaches,  and 
the  steel  underframe  fifty-ton  capacity  freight  cars 
in  use  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  to-day. 

Illustrative  of  the  growth  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Railroad  since  the  Conference  of  the  Loyal  Govern- 
ors, the  following  statistics  are  given : — 


1862 

1912 

Miles  of  single  track 

882 

3,810 

Locomotives,  all  classes  . 

255 

3,621 

Passenger  equipment  cars 

158 

2,502 

Freight  equipment  cars  . 

. 4,016 

146,989 

!□: 


3 


